|   Ride to Taylors Falls A Ride Report | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:39 AM | | My wife and daughter went camping without me. An entire weekend day that I get to decide how to spend all by myself is rare. I decided to do a solo 137 mile ride to Taylor's Falls Minnesota. Taylor's Falls is on the St. Croix River and is a national scenic river protected region. Below is the route, the black line is the route out (northeast) and the orange line is the slightly different return route. I got 3 miles from home and went to take my first photo and realized I'd forgotten to put the battery in. I rode back to get it, the additional 6 miles makes it my longest single day ride. |
| First River Crossing | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:40 AM | | My first river crossing was the Minnesota River. This is a shot looking back the way I came. I crossed on the bridge you can see in the distance. |
| Downtown St. Paul | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:42 AM | | From the first river crossing I used the Big Rivers Trail to reach downtown St. Paul. A portion of the trail was closed for construction so I had to make a couple of mile detour. My previous longest ride was 135 miles, without the battery double back and this trail closure I wouldn't have beaten my longest distance. |
| Second River Crossing | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:43 AM | | Mississippi River at downtown St. Paul. A crew and chase boat out training. |
| Vento & Gateway Trail | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:44 AM | | Out of downtown St. Paul, I used two of our commuter trails to get me out into the suburbs. Here's the Vento Trail at Swede Hollow. |
| Stillwater | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:45 AM | | Once off the trails I'm in the countryside. Here's the road north near Stillwater Minnesota. |
| OMG, this pic is sooo cool!!! nm | MaRider
Aug 24, 2003 10:34 AM | | |
| Thank You (nm) | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 11:04 AM | | |
| Stillwater | aliensporebomb
Aug 24, 2003 3:48 PM | | I know that descent!
When my friend Paul and I rode up the gateway trail a month
or two ago we saw it was only five miles to Stillwater so we
said "what the hell" and went there and back.
Cool.
Great picture! |
| Now I think I recognize this road ... | Geardaddy
Aug 25, 2003 7:41 AM | | I think that's a road only 3 miles from where I grew up. At the stop sign you take a right turn, and then not far afterwards you descend a long hill to Hwy 95 just south of Marine on St. Croix - right?
If that's the right road, it was dirt until paved around 1990. |
| Give the man a dollar..... | Scot_Gore
Aug 25, 2003 8:01 AM | | That's highway 7 East (but it's going North at this point). Don't know about the pave date, but when you hit the stop sign that's just out of sight in this shot, you can continue straight on dirt, or turn left on dirt, the pavement only goes right. Hwy 7 does a long desent to 95 and then a little north on 95 to Marine.
Good eye.
Scot |
| Taylors Falls Half Way | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:47 AM | | Here's my first view of the St. Croix River at Taylor's Falls. |
| More Taylors Falls | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:48 AM | | Other folks are out enjoying this fine day. |
| YEAHHHH KAYAKING!! | rrjc5488
Aug 24, 2003 2:53 PM | | I work at a kayak store (im 15, awsome job for now, my lbs asked me if i wanted to work there once im 16... damn right i do! haha |
| Even More Taylors Falls | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:49 AM | | |
| Even More Taylors Falls | Geardaddy
Aug 25, 2003 7:31 AM | | Wow. Nice ride right through memory lane for me. Those Stillwater roads used to be home, and Taylor's Falls used to be a second home for me in climbing days of my youth (BTW, that's a nice picture of "Bill & Tom"; it's 5.6 and I've actually free-climbed it before).
You're killing me though, because that's 137 more miles than I've ridden in 2 weeks, as I've been laid out with a nasty upper back strain. The way this is going, I may be out for at least another 2 weeks. A doctor friend of mine thinks I may have a herniated disc. I don't think so (or I'm wishing this isn't the case), but it's driving me crazy not being able to ride. |
| Noveread Requisite Cow Shot | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:51 AM | | I had lunch in Taylor's Falls at an outdoor dinner. After lunch, back on the bike and back home. I remembered passing these gals on the way in, so I stopped to get their photo to make sure Noveread would feel right at home, another mile east from here and they'd even be Wisconsin cows. |
| Franconia Town Hall | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:52 AM | | Still in the countryside. Old Franconia Town Hall. |
| Snowman | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:53 AM | | From Franconia I got back on the trail system and back into suburbia. The symbol of North St. Paul. |
| Cathedral of St. Paul | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 9:55 AM | | Back into downtown St. Paul. From here I spun the last 20 miles home and didn't take any more pictures. It was a great day on the bike. |
| Very pretty, nice ride, thanks!........nm | rwbadley
Aug 24, 2003 12:19 PM | | |
| Hotter then Hell 137 | filtersweep
Aug 24, 2003 2:08 PM | | ...right here in MN if you went today (Sunday) !
Nice report |
| I'm indoors....recovery day...that's the ticket (nm) | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 2:22 PM | | |
| great ride report! nm | klippur
Aug 24, 2003 12:14 PM | | |
| re: Ride to Taylors Falls A Ride Report | farmerfrank
Aug 24, 2003 2:03 PM | | Just got back from a family vacation in Minn/St. Paul. Enjoyed all the regional parks and paths. A little bit humid and warm but an enjoyable trip. How was the State Fair as we left that week?
Regards,
Frank |
| Have not made it to the fair yet. | Scot_Gore
Aug 24, 2003 2:28 PM | | The Minnesota State Fair is a human zoo....anything from the sublime to bizarre with 100,000 of your friends and neighbors. It's worth the trip if you've never gone...but you need not go back, it hasn't changed much since my first in 1968.
Scot |
| Wow Scot, I'm impressed. I remember when you thought 100K was a long ride. | MB1
Aug 25, 2003 4:16 AM | | It wasn't all that long ago and now you are out riding forever. Maybe Mill M will move to Minnesota so she can ride with you.
Great ride, great report. |
| Thanks | Scot_Gore
Aug 25, 2003 4:36 AM | | I thought of you, my fallen comrade, a number of times along the way. First thought was "this rides for you Mark", my second, third, fourth, and fifth thought was "how the hell does he do this every weekend".
Get better, enjoy the down time as you can, and send Miss M my way and I'll try to keep up.
Scot |
| Great Report Scot...how about this! | Zman
Sep 2, 2003 3:53 PM | | I have done your route before and it is really nice. I have a little deviation to offer that might interest you.
When you hit Pine Point Park (end of the Gateway) take Norell street across the RR tracks to where it intersects with the Square Lake Road. Take a right (heading to Square Lake) and climb the hill until you hit Norell Street. Take a left and follow Norell for 5 miles until you hit Olinda Trail. Then take Olinda into Scandia. This version has much less traffic and is very scenic. Norell has nice rolling hills. When you hit Scandia you can reconnect in about 1 mile with Hwy 95 or can take Olinda into Lindstrom, then take 8 into Taylors Falls.
A little side trip would be to tackle Nason Hill just outside of Marine on the St. Croix. This hill is not for the faint of heart. Brand near road makes this section awesome.
Being from Vadnais Heights I really enjoyed your photos.
Z |
| Thanks Z | Scot_Gore
Sep 3, 2003 8:45 PM | | The bonus I got was that 95 had a closure between Marine and Taylors. They had some kind of major re-surfacing for about 100 yards. Cars were being diverted up toward Lindstrom, I kept riding and walked through the construction as a pedestrian. Made for this noramlly busy road a pretty nice bike way.
Scot |
| |
